Ben Shelton’s breakthrough US Open run has been followed by a change to his September schedule. The 23-year-old American has withdrawn from the 2026 Laver Cup in London. Shelton reached his first Grand Slam final before losing to Alexander Zverev in four sets. He then moved to a career-high No. 4 in the ATP rankings.
Shelton also represented the United States in Davis Cup action against Czechia on Sept. 18-19. Brandon Nakashima has been selected to replace him on Team World. The change removes one of Agassi’s leading players and adds another American enjoying a rise this season.
Shelton’s withdrawal follows a landmark US Open
Shelton’s withdrawal was announced four days after his first Grand Slam final. He lost to Zverev 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 on Sept. 13, ending a run to the final in New York that included victories over Carlos Alcaraz and Frances Tiafoe. The result lifted Shelton to No. 4, the highest ranking of his career.
The US Open performance was another step in a rapid 2026 season. Shelton has won titles in Dallas, Munich, Stuttgart and Montreal, while his run in New York became his first appearance in a major championship match. He also defended his Canada title in August without dropping a set.
His path to the final included a quarterfinal victory over Alcaraz, who entered the tournament as the No. 3 seed. Shelton then defeated Tiafoe in the semifinals before facing Zverev, who also won the French Open earlier this season and now owns 2 Grand Slam titles.
The Laver Cup begins less than 2 weeks after the US Open final. The London event is scheduled for Sept. 25-27, while Shelton represented the United States against Czechia in Prague on Sept. 18-19.
Brandon Nakashima gets the Laver Cup opportunity
Nakashima will make his Laver Cup debut after being selected as Shelton’s replacement. The 25-year-old American is ranked No. 16 and has reached a career-high position inside the world’s top 20 during a breakthrough season.
Nakashima and Shelton have already met in a significant 2026 final. Shelton defeated his fellow American 6-3, 7-6(4) in the Montreal final in August, successfully defending the National Bank Open title.
Nakashima also reached the Cincinnati semifinals and the Montreal final during the North American hard-court swing. His results have placed him alongside Taylor Fritz, Alex de Minaur, Learner Tien, Alexander Bublik and Francisco Cerundolo on Agassi’s Team World roster.
The replacement keeps an American player in the lineup while giving Nakashima his first appearance in the team competition. “I’m really excited to be making my Laver Cup debut in London,” Nakashima said in a statement released by the event.
Shelton leaves a strong Laver Cup record behind
Shelton’s withdrawal is notable because he has previously been highly effective at the Laver Cup. Across appearances in Vancouver in 2023 and Berlin in 2024, he compiled a 6-2 overall record and helped Team World win the title in Vancouver.
His Laver Cup record includes a 2-1 mark in singles and a 4-1 record in doubles. He earned 12 points across eight matches, making his absence more than a simple roster change for a team that has built considerable success in the competition.
Team World enters the London edition as the defending champion after beating Team Europe 15-9 in San Francisco in 2025. The group will now rely on its remaining players for the event at The O2.
Fun fact: Ben Shelton won all three of his matches at the 2023 Laver Cup in Vancouver without dropping a set, helping Team World capture its second consecutive title in the event.
A packed September schedule surrounds the decision
Shelton’s Laver Cup withdrawal came during one of the busiest stretches of his season. He reached the US Open final after winning the Montreal title, then traveled to Prague to represent the United States in the Davis Cup tie against Czechia.
The Davis Cup series took place Sept. 18-19 at Prague’s O2 arena. Czechia defeated the United States 3-2, with Shelton competing in singles on both days. The Laver Cup begins in London on Sept. 25, 6 days after the Davis Cup tie concluded.
Shelton publicly explained his withdrawal when the Laver Cup announced the roster change. He said that after a long US Open run and going straight into Davis Cup, he had decided to take time to rest and would not play the Laver Cup.
For Team World, the change also alters a lineup built around several of the season’s prominent American performers. Nakashima’s addition gives Agassi another player with recent success against top competition and a fresh connection to the team format.
Team World faces a reshaped matchup in London
The 2026 Laver Cup will feature Team World against Team Europe, with Team Europe led by Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz. Flavio Cobolli, Rafael Jodar, Jakub Mensik, and Casper Ruud complete the European lineup under captain Yannick Noah.
Zverev enters London after defeating Shelton in New York and winning his second Grand Slam title of the season. Alcaraz, meanwhile, returns after Shelton defeated him in the quarterfinals of the US Open.
Team World has won 3 of the last 4 Laver Cup editions but trails Team Europe 5-3 in titles entering the 2026 competition. The 2026 event marks the ninth edition and returns to The O2, where Team World secured its first Laver Cup title in 2022.
Shelton will therefore miss an event where he has already produced strong results, while Nakashima steps into a team that has established itself as a consistent force in the competition. The roster change is the latest development in a season that has pushed both Americans into new territory, with Shelton reaching a major final and Nakashima breaking into the top 20.
TL;DR
- Ben Shelton has withdrawn from the 2026 Laver Cup in London after reaching his first Grand Slam final.
- Shelton climbed to a career-high No. 4 after his US Open runner-up finish.
- Brandon Nakashima will replace Shelton and make his Laver Cup debut.
- Shelton owns a 6-2 Laver Cup record across 2 previous appearances.
- Shelton represented the United States against Czechia in Davis Cup action on Sept. 18-19.
- The Laver Cup will take place at The O2 in London from Sept. 25-27.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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